I remember seeing something here... but I can't remember where... about how much water a person should be drinking each day. Maybe it was based on your current weight (?). Anyway, a person at work today mentioned that I might be drinking too much water -- that too much could be dangerous. Since I've never heard that before, and I don't feel like I'm overdoing it at all, I thought I'd ask. Is there a limit to the amount of water you should be drinking? (I am 250 pounds, and drinking eight 12-oz glasses of water every day.)

Hi,
From what I have read it is good to drink half your body weight in ounces. That would mean 125 oz. for you (10 1/2 12oz glasses). It's true that drinking too much water can put too much stress on the kidneys, however when loosing weight we need to flush out the toxins that are being released from stored fat. Also, the water lost from perspiration and respiration during exercise must be replaced.

There is a condition called water intoxication, but it is rare in someone who is not either an infant or an athlete. You can look it up to understand it better, but the reality is that as long as you're drinking water over a period of time, and not your entire daily intake at once when you're dehydrated, there is very little risk to drinking a lot of water.

Obviously, people with medical conditions that include fluid retention, kidney issues, or other concerns should check with their doctor, but the average person really doesn't have anything to worry about here.

Personally, since joining here a few weeks ago, and after some sage advice from some long-standing members, I increased my water intake from around 80oz/day to between 160 and 200oz. I've noticed that my face is decidedly less puffy, and I feel better in lots of ways. I'm sure much of this is the result of all the changes I've made, but I feel confident that the increased water intake has been a very good thing for me. It also ensures that I'm fully hydrated, and that the weight loss I experience, hopefully, is the good kind, and not just the result of a depleted system.

BTW, I started at 350lbs. It's been said around here that one should consider adding 8oz of water for every ten pounds someone wants to lose, above the daily recommendation of 64oz. I freaked out when I considered how much water I would drink that way, especially compared to what I had been drinking, and a great recommendation I was given was to think of my weight loss in terms of intermediate goals and apply that to water intake. So thinking that along the way to losing 190lbs, I wanted to lose 100lbs, and so I thought I should drink at least 144oz/day.

This is a long way of saying it is very unlikely you are drinking too much water. It's more likely you're not drinking enough (though at 96oz you're doing better than most).

I am not a doctor or even close, and if you're concerned about a medical condition related to your fluid intake, please consult an appropriate health care professional!

Like Detroit said, you need to consult your doctor, but for 99% of humans it is very uncommon to have issues from drinking too much water. My mom is an ER nurse and every now and again they get a teenager in with health issues related to drinking too much water. Why you might ask? Well it always turns out that the teen did some sort of thing they weren't supposed to do, like an illegal drug or alcohol, and they are trying to "flush" it from their system. Duh, how stupid is that? It takes more than water to wash pot out of your hair follicles. Most often the patients my mom sees with that problem drank like 4-5 gallons of water in a couple of hours. Typically I drink 96 oz/day and that's perfect for me, and I've never had a single issue related to drinking too much water (well other than spending a good bit of time in the ladies room).

I've always been told, by both my regular doctor and my knee doctor that you need 64 oz/day + 8 oz for every 10 pounds you want to lose. I can tell you this, when I drink my water I feel good, when I don't I am achy all over and my lips and fingers crack open.